A tiny, lush-green Indian village surrounded by rice paddy fields was beaming with joy on Wednesday hours before its descendant, Kamala Harris, took her oath of office and became the US vice president. Harris has made history as the first woman, the first woman vice-president of America, and the first person of South Asian descent to hold the vice presidency.
Earlier, ahead of the US election in November, the Villagers of Thilasendrapuram had pulled together a ceremony at the Hindu temple to wish her good luck. “We are feeling very proud that an Indian is being elected as the vice president of America,” said Anukampa Madhavasimhan, a teacher, on her win.
Harris’ ancestral village is situated in the Southern part of India. While the inauguration ceremony is scheduled after 10 pm (Indian time), the village commenced their celebrations almost 12 hours in advance, at 10 am on Wednesday.
Ahead of the inauguration, special prayers for her success were held at the town temple during which the idol of Hindu deity Ayyanar, a form of Lord Shiva, was washed with milk and decked with flowers by the priest. After her win, they set off firecrackers and distributed sweets and flowers as a religious offering.